By AFRO Staff
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Dixie, a 1-year-old beagle, visits District-area hotels, apartments and businesses to sniff out bed bugs, a growing epidemic in the city. (Courtesy Photo) |
(May 5, 2009) - The Obama’s curly haired water dog Bo is not the only canine in the District making headlines.
Meet Dixie, a 1-year-old beagle and Western Pest Services’ first bed bug-sniffing dog aiding District residents.
Dixie travels throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to hotels, apartment complexes, healthcare facilities and businesses to sniff out bed bugs from their hiding places.
According to a Western Pest Service release, bed bugs are generally the size of an apple seed or smaller and feed only on blood, mostly human blood. These nocturnal creatures feed at night and leave many victims awaking to seemingly inexplicable itchy, red welts. Unlike other pests, bed bugs are not indicative of sanitation issues. Any place with a human food source is vulnerable to bed bug infestation. With just two bed bugs producing more than 160 offspring in one month, business owners don’t want to take chances with a bed bug infestation.
Dogs, unlike many other animals, have the ability to sniff out the blood-sucking pests and their eggs – allowing their human pest management partners to be even more effective in identifying and treating infestations.
Similar to law enforcement canines, Dixie was trained in scent detection at the Florida Canine Academy in Tampa, Fla. Originally rescued from a shelter, Dixie underwent approximately 600 hours of training to become certified in bed bug detection. She sits and points with her nose to indicate where bed bugs, and their eggs, are hiding. Pest specialists are then able to target treatments even more effectively than with sight inspections alone.
“Dixie loves to work. She’ll run through rooms as fast as I can keep up with her,” said Blaine Lessard, Western canine handler and Dixie’s partner. “Beagles are natural hunters so she’s constantly looking for bed bugs.”
Lessard says having Dixie on the Western Pest Services team has allowed them to be more productive and proactive in their fight against bed bugs.
For more information and to schedule a canine-assisted bed bug inspection, call Western Pest Services at 1-800-544-BUGS.